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<p>[QUOTE="lizjewel, post: 2845303, member: 13874"][USER=29]@Ownedbybear[/USER] I don't disagree with you on the English jewelry industries. They are mentioned in my article series, including specific jewelers, cities of production, should you wish to read it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Being originally from Europe myself, Sweden, I have some basis for comparison regarding c.j. there, its popularity, prices, designs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Having lived in England and France as well I saw examples of c.j., vintage and modern, in those three countries. Also pieces from Germany, Austria, Italy, others.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am not trying to disrespect the importance of these or other countries to the industry. It is described in several other archived articles.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, as I grew up and came of age in Europe I was keenly aware of a social stigma attached to costume jewelry, the <i>snob factor</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Costume jewelry was viewed as being a cheap imitation of fine jewelry meant to deceive, and mainly worn by poor people who couldn't afford anything better. Only precious jewelry was respected as worth owning, wearing, hold on to for investment, a <i>hedge for a rainy day</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>This mindset prevailed especially among the people who least could afford precious jewelry but still were snobbish about it.</p><p><br /></p><p>When I lived in London as a young student, I once bought a <i>Tassie</i> on <i>Portobello Road</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>To explain to all who may not know either, a <i>Tassie</i> is a molded, not carved, costume cameo. It is named for the man who invented the method of molding it, <i>James Tassie</i>. Portobello Road was then and may still be the largest fleamarket and antiques shops street in London.</p><p><br /></p><p>I proudly showed off my 10-pence cameo brooch find to the lady of the house where I worked as an <i>au pair</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>She wrinkled her nose and told me to be careful where I choose to wear it.</p><p><br /></p><p>I was astonished! What could be wrong with wearing a little cute costume cameo brooch when I went to school or out with friends?</p><p><br /></p><p>She was quick to explain that a social stigma was attached to <i>cameos</i>. She elaborated:</p><p><br /></p><p>When back in the mid-19th century cameos had become less fashionable among the elite, they were often forgotten in jewelry drawers of older grannies and aunts who had been fashionable wearing them when young.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now the cameos hadn't been worn in years and were easy steals for younger men in the house. Pretty much penniless the young <i>bucks</i> drank their allowance at the ale house and had little left for anything else.</p><p><br /></p><p>With hormones raging the boys sought company among the most vulnerable in the household, the young maids. And to entice a maid to go along with the naughtiness a little trinket would be offered. Such as a piece of jewelry from a granny's dresser, often a cameo, seldom missed.</p><p><br /></p><p>But it was as always <i>a small world</i>. By the time the <i>young bucks</i> had made the rounds with the maids in the village, the cameo became the <i>signature badge</i> of those who had been naughty and reputations were ruined.</p><p><br /></p><p>The innocent cameo brooch was now <i>tarnished</i> as the jewelry worn by the village harlots. Everyone knew from where it had come, and why. This only served to sink the poor cameo into further disuse and ill repute.</p><p><br /></p><p>When young <i>Queen Victoria</i> started to embrace cameos as a fashion, mostly from her mother's stash, the cameo's reputation became somewhat restored to respectable.</p><p><br /></p><p>But not with everyone. The old villagers still remembered the trinket cameos bestowed on the village girls for services rendered.</p><p><br /></p><p>Even Queen Victoria, or the <i>Tsarina Alexandra</i> who adored cameos, were never completely able to restore the cameo to its initial glory of the late 18th century.</p><p><br /></p><p>But people in their aristocratic circles, including them, were probably quite unaware of that and even if they knew, couldn't have cared less.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>And what did I do?</i> I put the <i>Tassie</i> in a drawer and left it there when I left England after my study time was over. I did not miss it.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="lizjewel, post: 2845303, member: 13874"][USER=29]@Ownedbybear[/USER] I don't disagree with you on the English jewelry industries. They are mentioned in my article series, including specific jewelers, cities of production, should you wish to read it. Being originally from Europe myself, Sweden, I have some basis for comparison regarding c.j. there, its popularity, prices, designs. Having lived in England and France as well I saw examples of c.j., vintage and modern, in those three countries. Also pieces from Germany, Austria, Italy, others. I am not trying to disrespect the importance of these or other countries to the industry. It is described in several other archived articles. However, as I grew up and came of age in Europe I was keenly aware of a social stigma attached to costume jewelry, the [I]snob factor[/I]. Costume jewelry was viewed as being a cheap imitation of fine jewelry meant to deceive, and mainly worn by poor people who couldn't afford anything better. Only precious jewelry was respected as worth owning, wearing, hold on to for investment, a [I]hedge for a rainy day[/I]. This mindset prevailed especially among the people who least could afford precious jewelry but still were snobbish about it. When I lived in London as a young student, I once bought a [I]Tassie[/I] on [I]Portobello Road[/I]. To explain to all who may not know either, a [I]Tassie[/I] is a molded, not carved, costume cameo. It is named for the man who invented the method of molding it, [I]James Tassie[/I]. Portobello Road was then and may still be the largest fleamarket and antiques shops street in London. I proudly showed off my 10-pence cameo brooch find to the lady of the house where I worked as an [I]au pair[/I]. She wrinkled her nose and told me to be careful where I choose to wear it. I was astonished! What could be wrong with wearing a little cute costume cameo brooch when I went to school or out with friends? She was quick to explain that a social stigma was attached to [I]cameos[/I]. She elaborated: When back in the mid-19th century cameos had become less fashionable among the elite, they were often forgotten in jewelry drawers of older grannies and aunts who had been fashionable wearing them when young. Now the cameos hadn't been worn in years and were easy steals for younger men in the house. Pretty much penniless the young [I]bucks[/I] drank their allowance at the ale house and had little left for anything else. With hormones raging the boys sought company among the most vulnerable in the household, the young maids. And to entice a maid to go along with the naughtiness a little trinket would be offered. Such as a piece of jewelry from a granny's dresser, often a cameo, seldom missed. But it was as always [I]a small world[/I]. By the time the [I]young bucks[/I] had made the rounds with the maids in the village, the cameo became the [I]signature badge[/I] of those who had been naughty and reputations were ruined. The innocent cameo brooch was now [I]tarnished[/I] as the jewelry worn by the village harlots. Everyone knew from where it had come, and why. This only served to sink the poor cameo into further disuse and ill repute. When young [I]Queen Victoria[/I] started to embrace cameos as a fashion, mostly from her mother's stash, the cameo's reputation became somewhat restored to respectable. But not with everyone. The old villagers still remembered the trinket cameos bestowed on the village girls for services rendered. Even Queen Victoria, or the [I]Tsarina Alexandra[/I] who adored cameos, were never completely able to restore the cameo to its initial glory of the late 18th century. But people in their aristocratic circles, including them, were probably quite unaware of that and even if they knew, couldn't have cared less. [I]And what did I do?[/I] I put the [I]Tassie[/I] in a drawer and left it there when I left England after my study time was over. I did not miss it.[/QUOTE]
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